"And how dost thou know? It is Akím. He came by night, with a firebrand in a pot, and had already crept into the yard, and laid a fire.... All my lads are witnesses.--Wouldst like to take a look? But, by the way, 't is high time we were carrying him off." "Dear little father, Naúm Ivánitch,"--began Efrém,--"release him; don't utterly ruin the old man. Don't take that sin on your soul, Naúm Ivánitch. Just reflect,--the man is desperate,--he has lost, you know ...." "Stop that prating!"--Naúm interrupted him.--"The idea! As though I would let him go! Why, he would set me on fire again to-morrow...." "He will not do it, Naúm Ivánitch, believe me. Believe me, you yourself will be more at ease so--for, you see, there will be inquiries--the court--you surely know what I mean." "Well, and what about the court? I have nothing to fear from the court...." "Dear little father, Naúm Ivánitch, how can you help fearing the court?..." "Eh, stop that; I see that thou art drunk early, and to-day is a feast-day, to boot." Efrém suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, fell to weeping. "I am drunk, but I 'm speaking the truth,"--he blurted out.--"But do you release him, in honour of Christ's festival." "Come, let 's be starting, cry-baby." And Naúm went out on the porch.... "Forgive him for Avdótya Aréfyevna's sake,"--said Efrém, following him. Naúm approached the cellar, and threw the door wide open. Efrém, with timorous curiosity, craned his neck from behind Naúm's back, and with difficulty made out Akím in one corner of the shallow cellar. The former wealthy householder, the man respected in all the countryside, was sitting with pinioned arms on the straw, like a criminal... On hearing the noise, he raised his head.... He seemed to have grown frightfully thin in the last two days, especially during the last night--his sunken eyes were hardly visible beneath his lofty brow, yellow as wax, his parched lips had turned dark ... his whole face had undergone a change, and assumed a strange expression: both harsh and terrified. "Get up and come out,"--said Naúm. Akím rose, and stepped across the threshold. "Akím Semyónitch,"--roared Efrém,--"thou hast ruined thyself, my dear man!" Akím glanced at him in silence. "If I had known why thou didst ask for liquor, I would n't have given it to thee; indeed, I would n't! I do believe I would have drunk it all myself! Ekh, Naúm Ivánitch,"--added Efrém, seizing Naúm by the hand;--"have mercy on him, let him go!" "Thou 'rt joking,"--retorted Naúm, with a grin.--"Come out, there,"--he added, again addressing Akím... "What art thou waiting for?" "Naúm Ivánoff,".... began Akím. "What?"